A system and method is provided for simultaneous communications on Modbus and DNP 3.0 over Ethernet for an electronic power meter. The system incorporates one or more protocol wrappers to provide compatibility with both Modbus and DNP based applications. The system removes the appropriate wrappers and routes the incoming data packet to its destination. Additionally, the system also wraps outgoing response packets with the appropriate protocol wrapper based on the related data packet wrappers.
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1. A system for providing simultaneous communications to a plurality of applications, the system comprising: an interface that receives a message from a network device over a network connection, the message being transmitted using at least one network protocol, the interface inspects the message by evaluating a sequence of a portion of the message to determine if the sequence of the portion of the message conforms to a first network protocol of the at least one network protocol used for transmitting the message, the interface further routes the message to at least one intelligent electronic device based on whether the sequence of the portion of the message conforms to the first network protocol and based on an internal communication protocol associated with the at least one intelligent electronic device; and the at least one intelligent electronic device, wherein each intelligent electronic device includes a digital sampler for sampling a voltage and a current at a sampling point of an electrical distribution system, the digital sampler coupled to at least one processor, wherein the at least one processor is configured to perform multiple metering tasks related to the sampled voltage and current; wherein the interface further inspects the message by evaluating the sequence of the portion of the message to determine if the sequence of the portion of the message conforms to a second network protocol of the at least one network protocol used for transmitting the message; and wherein the interface further routes the message to the at least one intelligent electronic device based on whether the sequence of the portion of the message conforms to the second network protocol and based on the internal communication protocol associated with the at least one intelligent electronic device.
A system provides simultaneous communication to multiple applications. An interface receives a message from a network device via a network, using one or more network protocols. The interface inspects a portion of the message to determine if it conforms to a first network protocol. Based on this and the intelligent electronic device's (IED) internal protocol, the message is routed to the IED. Each IED includes a digital sampler for voltage and current in an electrical distribution system, coupled to a processor. The processor performs metering tasks on the sampled data. The interface also checks if the message conforms to a second network protocol and routes the message based on that and the IED's internal protocol.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second network protocol is in accordance with a Modbus protocol.
The system described above, where the interface checks message protocols and routes data to IEDs for simultaneous communication, uses Modbus as one of the communication protocols used to transmit data across the network for checking message conformity and routing data.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second network protocol is in accordance with a DNP (Distributed Network Protocol).
The system described above, where the interface checks message protocols and routes data to IEDs for simultaneous communication, uses Distributed Network Protocol (DNP) as one of the communication protocols used to transmit data across the network for checking message conformity and routing data.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one network protocol is in accordance with at least one of Modbus Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), RS-485, an e-mail protocol, File Transfer Protocol (FTP), and Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP).
The system described above, where the interface checks message protocols and routes data to IEDs for simultaneous communication, uses Modbus TCP, RS-485, email, FTP, or DHCP as communication protocols used to transmit data across the network.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the multiple metering tasks include at least one of executing revenue calculations and executing power quality functions.
The system described above, where the interface checks message protocols and routes data to IEDs, with the IED processors performing metering tasks, includes the IED processors executing revenue calculations or power quality functions as metering tasks on the sampled voltage and current of an electrical distribution system.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the at least one intelligent electronic device further comprises an external device interface for connecting an external device to the at least one intelligent electronic device, wherein said external device transmits packet data to the intelligent electronic device to be processed by the at least one processor and provided through the interface.
The system described above, where the interface checks message protocols and routes data to IEDs, includes an external device interface on each IED. This interface allows external devices to connect and transmit packet data to the IED, where it's processed by the processor and provided through the interface to the network.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the interface supports one of 100 base-T and 10 base-T communications.
The system described above, where the interface checks message protocols and routes data to IEDs, supports 100 base-T or 10 base-T Ethernet communication standards.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one network protocol is in accordance with a Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP).
The system described above, where the interface checks message protocols and routes data to IEDs for simultaneous communication, the network communication protocols conform to the TCP/IP protocol suite.
9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor acts as a server for the at least one intelligent electronic device and provides data in the form of web pages via the at least one network protocol.
The system described above, where the interface checks message protocols and routes data to IEDs for simultaneous communication, the processor in the IED acts as a server. It provides data in the form of web pages using network protocols across the network.
10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor executes multiple networking tasks concurrently.
The system described above, where the interface checks message protocols and routes data to IEDs for simultaneous communication, the processor in the IED executes multiple networking tasks at the same time.
11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one intelligent electronic device is at least one of a socket type meter, a panel mounted meter, a switchboard mounted meter, and a circuit breaker meter.
The system described above, where the interface checks message protocols and routes data to IEDs for simultaneous communication, the IED is a socket type meter, a panel mounted meter, a switchboard mounted meter, or a circuit breaker meter.
12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the interface is part of the at least one intelligent electronic device.
In the system where the interface checks message protocols and routes data to IEDs for simultaneous communication, the interface that performs protocol checks and message routing is integrated directly into the intelligent electronic device (IED) itself.
13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one intelligent electronic device is at least one of a power meter, a remote terminal unit (RTU), and/or a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) master.
In the system where the interface checks message protocols and routes data to IEDs for simultaneous communication, the intelligent electronic device is a power meter, a remote terminal unit (RTU), or a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) master.
14. A method for providing communications between an intelligent electronic device and a plurality of applications over a network, the network including an interface for coupling the intelligent electronic device to the network, the intelligent electronic device including a digital sampler for sampling a voltage and a current at a sampling point of an electrical distribution system and at least one processor coupled to the digital sampler, wherein the at least one processor is configured to perform multiple metering tasks related to the sampled voltage and current, the intelligent electronic device operating under a predetermined network protocol, the method comprising: receiving a message over a network connection via the interface; evaluating a sequence of a portion of the message to identify a network protocol used for transmitting the message; and routing the message to the intelligent electronic device based on whether the sequence of the portion of the message is in accordance with a first network protocol and based on the predetermined network protocol of the intelligent electronic device, the first network protocol associated with a network protocol used in an electric power system; wherein, when the sequence of the portion of the message is not in accordance with the first network protocol, the routing the message further comprises routing the message to the intelligent electronic device based on whether the sequence of the portion of the message is in accordance with a second network protocol and based on the predetermined network protocol of the intelligent electronic device.
A method provides communication between an intelligent electronic device (IED) and multiple applications over a network. An interface couples the IED to the network. The IED includes a digital sampler for voltage and current and a processor for metering tasks. The method involves receiving a message over the network, evaluating a portion of the message to identify the network protocol. The message is routed to the IED if it conforms to a first network protocol used in electric power systems, based on the IED's predetermined network protocol. If not, the message is routed based on whether it conforms to a second network protocol, also based on the IED's predetermined protocol.
15. A system for evaluating a message on a single network, said network including a plurality of network devices communicating messages using various different protocols, wherein a portion of each message includes a specific sequence, the system comprising: an interface compatible with a first messaging protocol and a second messaging protocol, the first messaging protocol is associated with a messaging protocol used in an electric power system, the interface is configured to evaluate a sequence of a portion of a message on the network, and a network device coupled to the interface, the network device including a digital sampler for sampling a voltage and a current at a sampling point of an electrical distribution system and at least one processor coupled to the digital sampler, wherein the at least one processor is configured to perform multiple metering tasks related to the sampled voltage and current, wherein the interface is configured to transmit the message to the network device if the sequence of the portion of the message is in accordance with the first messaging protocol or with the second messaging protocol; wherein the interface is further configured to recognize a first protocol identifier and a second protocol identifier in the sequence of the portion of the message, the first protocol identifier indicative of the first messaging protocol and the second protocol identifier indicative of the second messaging protocol; and wherein, the interface is configured to evaluate the sequence of the portion of the message to determine if the message on the network is in accordance with the first messaging protocol or the second messaging protocol based on the first protocol identifier or the second protocol identifier.
A system evaluates messages on a network where devices use different protocols, each message containing a specific sequence. An interface is compatible with a first (electric power system protocol) and second messaging protocol. The interface evaluates a message's sequence and transmits it to a network device (with voltage/current sampler and processor for metering tasks) if the sequence matches either protocol. The interface recognizes protocol identifiers for both protocols within the message sequence. It determines the message's protocol based on these identifiers.
16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the first messaging protocol is selected from the group consisting of Distributed Network Protocol (DNP), MODBUS, and unstructured messaging protocols.
The system for evaluating messages on a network with different protocols, where the interface recognizes protocol identifiers, uses DNP (Distributed Network Protocol), Modbus or unstructured messaging protocols as the first electric power system protocol for evaluating a sequence of a message on the network.
17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the network is selected from a group consisting of a local area network, a wide area network, and a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system.
The system for evaluating messages on a network with different protocols, where the interface recognizes protocol identifiers, operates the network as a Local Area Network (LAN), Wide Area Network (WAN), or Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system.
18. The system of claim 15 , wherein the interface is part of the network device.
In the system for evaluating messages on a network with different protocols, where the interface recognizes protocol identifiers, the interface that recognizes protocol identifiers and determines a protocol is integrated directly into the network device itself.
19. The system of claim 15 , wherein the network device is selected from a group consisting of a power meter, a remote terminal unit (RTU), and a SCADA master.
In the system for evaluating messages on a network with different protocols, where the interface recognizes protocol identifiers, the network device coupled to the interface is a power meter, a remote terminal unit (RTU), or a SCADA master.
20. The system of claim 15 , wherein the at least one processor acts as a server for the intelligent electronic device and provides data in the form of web pages via the messaging protocol used in the electric power system.
In the system for evaluating messages on a network with different protocols, where the interface recognizes protocol identifiers, the processor in the intelligent electronic device (IED) acts as a server and provides data as web pages via the messaging protocol used in electric power systems.
21. The system of claim 15 , wherein the at least one processor executes multiple networking tasks concurrently.
In the system for evaluating messages on a network with different protocols, where the interface recognizes protocol identifiers, the processor in the intelligent electronic device (IED) executes multiple networking tasks concurrently.
22. The system of claim 15 , wherein the multiple metering tasks include at least one of executing revenue calculations and executing power quality functions.
In the system for evaluating messages on a network with different protocols, where the interface recognizes protocol identifiers, the processor in the intelligent electronic device (IED) performs revenue calculations and/or power quality functions as metering tasks.
23. The system of claim 15 , wherein the network device is at least one of a socket type meter, a panel mounted meter, a switchboard mounted meter, and a circuit breaker meter.
In the system for evaluating messages on a network with different protocols, where the interface recognizes protocol identifiers, the network device is a socket type meter, a panel mounted meter, a switchboard mounted meter, or a circuit breaker meter.
24. The system of claim 15 , wherein the specific messaging protocol or the another specific messaging protocol is in accordance with at least one of Modbus Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), RS-485, an e-mail protocol, File Transfer Protocol (FTP), and Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP).
The system for evaluating messages on a network with different protocols, where the interface recognizes protocol identifiers, uses Modbus TCP, RS-485, email, FTP, or DHCP as communication protocols to evaluate the message sequence on the network.
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March 2, 2015
July 11, 2017
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